BMC elections 2026: Raj Thackeray targets SEC after casting vote

MNS president Raj Thackeray on Thursday cast his vote in the BMC elections 2026 and accused the State Election Commission of bias claiming the entire administration was being misused by the government to secure victory in the polls reported news agency PTICricket legend Sachin Tendulkar his wife Anjali daughter Sara and former Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar voted in MumbaiThackeray cast his vote in the Dadar area accompanied by his family members including his mother KundaLater speaking to reporters he targeted the State Election Commission over the use of the Printing Auxiliary Display Unit PADU in the civic pollsThe SEC did not even bother to give any clarification on the use of PADU and extended the canvassing time to allow distribution of money by ruling parties the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena MNS chief alleged reported PTIHe further claimed that the ink mark on the finger after casting a vote can be easily wiped off with sanitiserThey the government dont want the Opposition parties The entire administration is being run by the government to win the polls This is not the sign of a healthy democracy There is a limit to misuse of power Thackeray said reported PTIHe asked his party workers to stay alert against any malpractices by rival parties in the pollsRaj Thackeray and Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray are fighting their toughest battle yet as they join forces in the BMC polls aiming to control the countrys richest civic bodyThe cousins have placed the cause of the Marathi manoos and Marathi pride at the centre of their campaignRaj Thackeray has conceded defeat in BMC polls hence blaming SEC BJP leader ShelarMeanwhile Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Ashish Shelar on Thursday claimed that MNS chief Raj Thackeray had already accepted his partys defeat in the Mumbai civic polls and was blaming the State Election Commission for passing the buckRaj Thackeray and Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray have raised objections over the use of Printing Auxiliary Display Units PADU during the civic elections underway on ThursdayPADU is being used in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC polls for the first time to facilitate vote counting in the event of technical glitches in electronic voting machines EVMsThey will act as backup units BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani had said adding that these like the other EVM units will remain with Returning Officers and will be used only in case of emergencyTo a question Shelar said Raj Thackeray was coming up with baseless excuses to deflect responsibility for his partys performance in the BMC polls and blaming the SEC for passing the buck reported PTII appeal to voters to come forward and vote in large numbers for progress and development This is an opportunity to teach a lesson to Uddhav Thackeray and his way of running the BMC he told reportersTo a query on the Thackeray cousins projecting the Marathi identity as a core poll plank Shelar dismissed it saying it was not an issue in the campaignThis election is about development and progressive policies for Mumbai who will develop the city and how it will be developed are the issues he maintainedShelar said Thackeray had adopted a similar campaign line in 2014 and 2017 but failed to get the expected successWhen the vote counting is over tomorrow you will see a tsunami in favour of the BJPled Mahayuti here he claimed reported PTIWith inputs from PTI